Do I just refund a buyer?

[pantshavenames]

First time I've sold anything (been a net importer of ebay products until now lol)- 3 maternity workshirts. Buyer has just received them and e-mailed me to say she's very disapointed- she says they're stained. I sold them as used so they weren't in perfect condition but I don't think they were stained. I checked them over about 4 times before I listed them and I think I would have noticed a big bleach stain on one of them.
But... do I automatically offer a refund? She hasn't asked for one but I'm assuming she wants one otherwise why e-mail me?
And do I refund all of the amount (including postage) or just the auction price. (I had to post to Hungary- the shirts cost £2.00, the postage £5)

I'm beginning to wish I'd never bothered.

Firstly ask for photos of the stains, if she doesn't reply you know she's having you on.

If she does & ther are stains you have several options, you could offer a partial refund & see if she's happy with that, if not ask her to send the shirts back & then refund once you've recieved them back.

Don't rush in & refund straight away as she could be conning you.

How can she be conning her?

If she wants a refund the buyer has to send them back at their own expense, then you issue a refund.
Personally, I'd just offer a refund for the return of the goods.
Make sure you get the goods back first, my one and only refund mistake I trusted the buyer and gave a refund before I had the goods back. They never arrived and I couldn't do a thing about it.

Remember buyers can give you -FB and you can't, so try and keep your buyers happy if you can.

Ask her to return and then refund. This happened to me once, offered a full refund on return of goods which I know did not arrive in the condition she was describing, never heard anything from her since and no feedback from her.

Ok, I've emailed her back saying I'm sorry she's disappointed but I didn't notice any stains. If she returns them I'll refund upon receipt of the goods.

Guess we'll see what happens....

Sorry, meant to say, thanks for your help

(dragged up not brought up you know)

Do you think you'll sell them again though? Are they any good to you? It's just throwing more money away asking her to return them. I'd ask first what she is expecting of you - maybe she'll accept a partial refund.

this is why i never sell on Ebay anymore.

next time, try a boot sale. the punter gets to see the goods, you get the cash, punter goes away.

much less hassle.

expat - agreed. I stopped selling things like clothing and smaller items that don't go for much because it is just too much hassle now and totally against the small seller.

Oliver She could be trying to con the seller into offering a refund claiming there are stains when they aren't.

There are buyers out there who will try every trick in the book to get their money back and keep the item. That's what I suggested the OP ask for photos or to return them before refunding....if the OP hears nothing more about it then she knows she was right & there were no stains.

but she doesn't have to give her a refund until the items are returned at the buyers own expense. Paypal will want proof from the buyer that they have returned the items.
She can still get a neg though.

you dont have to refund her the return postage either. btw

Oliver that's what I said, for the OP not to refund til she has the item back or she has photos showing the stain

Message withdrawn

ok Norma, don't get your knickers in a twist.

sunny - well, that's true, you could just refund and see if the buyer sends them back, but that's a chance you would have to take.
You don't have to give them money back until they send the goods back. That's fair.
I always think a seller should just offer a refund, but make it clear that they have to send the item back first - that's all I'm saying.

personally I think FB is meaningless now for both buyers and sellers.

Oh please.